need some tips to leran to play decent-sounding power chords

Hello all

I revamped this old topic to tell you that, since I devoted myself to learn heavy metal guitar, I've made great progression with power chords. Following Stestina's rhyhtm book suggestions, I decided to play them with index, ring, pinky if they're three string power chords or with index and ring if they're two strings chords (sometimes index and pinky if i'm changing from sixth string root to fifth string root chords).

Anyway there are still a few chord changes that give me troubles (in the sense that I play them quite muddy) and unfortunately they're quite common ones like changing from E5 (022Xxx) to G5 (355xxx) or, worst than ever, changing from E5 (022Xxx) to Bb5 (x13xxx)!

Of course i could play them in other positions but since the suggested excercises involve very fast changing (sometimes chords last no more than a quaver which is quite a short time even at 120-130 bpm!), I really have to learn these changes with the suggested fingerings!

I tried to play the E5 with index only, a bit leaned too (not parallel to the frets) and I've noticed a bit of improvement, but i guess the key of the problem is the change in hand position which make me lose accuracy.

To avoid it I tried to play E5 with ring and pinky but still I'm not satisified...may be it is just a matter of more exercise...

any suggestions?

thanks in adavance

Matteo

Hi Matteo,

I would think positioning of the chords on the neck would be less important with power chords than with full chords - for instance, it'd be relatively easy to change from an E to a Bb (or from E5 to Bb5) if you were playing E at the 7th fret and Bb at the 6th fret. I would suggest planning ahead, and playing the chords wherever they feel most natural for you.

Take the song "Paranoid" - I usually play it up around the 12th fret, but there's nothing to stop you playing it around the 7th, or even with open chords.

Something else I've found - if there's a quick change like the one you describe, the DG and B strings are your friends - you can play any triad on those strings with your ring finger, leaving your index finger free to move to the next chord. Sometimes you just HAVE to break the rules!

:D :D :D

Vic

I like the ring and pinky approach to E5 myself... but for most power chords I use index and ring barre shape. When I use that same barre on E5 and go to a G5 I tend to mess up and play C5 (5th string instead of 6th string... I fail to move up a string).

I agree you have to play ahead for some songs, but practicing your problem areas slowly and correctly will cure you too (I'm just never one to knock knowing alternate ways to play the same things).

Hi all

thanks for your kind answers. Yes I know that playing power chords with the double barre (index and ring) simplify it a lot, but I would like to stick to the traditional fingerings because some friends of mine, who plays guitar in a band, always told that it is a lot better to use ring and pinky.

I'm trying a couple of different fingerings that seems me to work a bit better:

using middle finger to play E5 and index and pinky to play G5 (two strings power chords): this is also a Troy stestina's suggestion that I've always overloooked;
using index and middle to fret E5 and then index, pinky and ring to play the three strings power chords.

also i'm still having a bit of trouble in playing the rock shuffle a la "Roll over bethoven" (i.e. for a G chord shuffle 35XXXX, 35xxxx, 37XXXX, 37xxxx) because it is quite difficult to strecht the left hand. In this case giving the fact that I put the index down for all the figure have I to put also the middle down or can I lift it when i play the 7th with the pinky?

the journey goes on and on...

Matteo

Here's a little cheat to make that blues shuffle a little easier....

You're playing G5 - 35xxxx and G6 - 37xxxx. Try them like this...
EADGBE
320xxx - G5
322xxx - G6
323xxx - G7

(I threw in the G7 as well - you can have that one for free.)

You can adapt this up the neck as well....
EADGBE
577xxx - A5
544xxx - A6
545xxx - A7

In this case, you'd play the A5 with your middle finger and pinky - OK, it's still a stretch, but it doesn't matter if you mute the D string with your pinky - with your ring finger on the 4th fret of the B string, same shape as the G5 chord above.

You can move the whole shape across too.....
EADGBE
x577xx - D5
x544xx - D6
x545xx - D7

And of course, there's always the old trick of tuning to drop D - or even drop C - that way your power chords are just 3 finger barres! That's used a LOT in metal these days.
DADGBE
000xxx - D5
020xxx - D6
030xxx - D7

:D :D :D

Vic

hi vic

thanks for your great suggestions! I have to try them all! A small question: am I wrong or playing the shape you suggested, I'd play some kind inverted power chords?

cheers

Matteo

If you mean the G5 - G6 - G7 shuffle, then strictly speaking the G5 is actully a G chord - you're playing the G B and D notes that make up the Gmajor triad. Same with the A-A6-A7 and D-D6-D7 shuffles.

If you mean the drop D tuning, then it's a three-string powerchord instead of two - but by tuning to Drop D, those bottom three strings give you D A and D notes - so all you're doing is doubling the root note, you're still only playing the root and fifth, it's just a slightly fuller sound. You could also do it like this....
D A D G B E
0 0 0 2 x x

In which case you'd be playing the root and fifth twice each - kind of a double D powerchord! That shape's useable anywhere on the neck, too!

:D :D :D

Vic

use your ring finger to play both. slide up and down for the changes. in other words bar but with your ring finger. when you play the G5 then bar real fast with your index finger on the third string.

hi all

first of all happy 2008 to everybody!

i'm back with this old topic. As i said in a previous post, I'm trying not use bar to play power chords, so that i'm playing them either with index and pinky or index, ring and pinky. While i'm happy with 2fingers chords, I'm not satisifed when i use 3 fingers because i obtain poor sounding chords and because my ring finger it tends to hurt. So i need a few more tips! First of all which position are you holding your thumb when playing power chords? Straigth over the neck, or under the neck? Is it bad to put it under the neck parallel (instead of straight)?
What about the fingers position? if I put them like if i play open chords, they tend to hurt: so what am doing wrong? And what about the index position? Do you put it like a bar?

Well may be too many demands! Thanks for any help

Cheers

Matteo
Matteo

While I can play a two note power chord (5 chord) with my index and ring finger, 90% of the time I play it with my index and pinky. This is regardless of whether the Root note is on the 6th, 5th, or 4th string. I simply do it because it is more comfortable to me, plus I can shift my hand much faster this way. But there are times I use the index/ring as when doing a Blues shuffle from 5 to 6 chords for example. But straight power chords like Punk I use index/pinky.

As for my thumb when using index/pinky, it is at the top of the neck (the tip extending barely above the neck) directly on the other side of the neck as my index finger. My thumb basically sticks straight up toward the ceiling, and is resting on the curve of the neck as it curves over toward the fret markers. It is about 1/2" from the fret markers. It is a very relaxed feel, I barely have to touch the strings to fully fret, and I can move my hand very quickly. My palm does not touch the neck at all. But I mostly play electric, it would probably take a little force to fret an acoustic or Classical guitar.

Also, this is not like a barre at all, my fingers are curved over the fingerboard, not straight. My hand is shaped liked the letter C in signlanguage.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/92567164@N00/68553637/

This is how I do it, I have probably medium sized hands. It is very easy for me. I am sure others do it differently.

But don't do anything that hurts, that could cause permanent injury.

Sorry for all the detail, but that's what I thought you wanted.

Wes

Hi wes

thanks, thanks

having said that I've been using an electric for the last months and I'm playing amplified, so in a nut your suggestions are:

a) thumb straight up and a bit higher than the usual position
b) index a bit curved and touching just a few strings

Regarding my experience I wish to add a couple of things:

a) what it hurts me is the tip of the ring finger where it touches the strinng
b) i guess that i have to play a lot of stretching excercizes because when I use three notes fingerings, I notice that my ring does not distance enough from the index

Also yesterday i modified a bit the pick angle noticing that the sound bettered quite a lot so maybe the uncorrect picking of all the strings was part of the problem

cheers

Matteo

Matteo

Matteo

First of all, you shouldn't necessarily copy my method. While there are traditional methods and forms to play chords, they don't work for everybody. Some people have small hands, some people huge. So it is good to use the traditional methods, but don't be afraid to use your own method if the traditional methods don't work.

As far as picking, to me the important thing is to be precise. When I play two string power chords, whether using all downstrokes or alternating up and down strokes, I try to keep my picking precise. I try to just pick the two strings I'm playing and nothing more. I don't worry about muting other strings because I'm not touching them at all. :D

I find it helps to rest your picking hand lightly behind the bridge. I don't flail my hand around, in fact it barely looks like my hand is moving. Check out this old video of Johnny Cash. He was actually an excellent rhythm guitarist. Notice how compact (but totally relaxed) his strumming is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE38XiBD6h8

Listen to the difference between all downstrokes and alternating strokes. All downstrokes has more impact, alternating strokes sound more fluid. You just have to pick what sounds best for the particular song you are playing.

That Johnny Cash video is also interesting because Johnny had a very unique way of holding the guitar. He almost always tilted the headstock downward which most teachers would say is a big no-no. He also liked to wrap his thumb over the guitar. But it worked well and he was a surprisingly great rhythm player. So in the end do what works best for you.

Looking at Johnny play with the headstock pointing down made me cringe.

hello all

first of all thanks to everyone for the kind tips. Just a bit of update hoping not to become tedious (does this word exist in English? well i meant boring!)

I have bettered a lot my power chords and recently i'm trying to play them with to alternate a bit: i.e. playing the verse of a song with downpicking and the chorus with alternate picking, juts to give a bit of dynamics to my playing. Of course if I play a fast song or some demanding ultra-syncopated pattern it is easier to use alternate picking

I also have to say that I prefer 2-strings power chords to 3-strings ones because they seems me rawer and more aggressive

cheers

Matteo

hello all

just a quick update to let you know that I've been finally learning to play clean full power chords (tonic, fifth and eight) with index, ring and pinly. I know that using a bar would have been easier but it is satisfing to reach a fixed goal :-)!

cheers

Matteo